Fostering Creativity in Higher Education Institutions: A Consulting Model

This project presents a consulting model to approach higher education institutions for the design, development, and implementation curricula, programs and academic resources about teaching creativity, teaching creatively and creative learning. This project also presents a portfolio of products and services for the consulting model. In spite of the valuable theoretical developments on how to improve education through creativity, there is still a lack of implantation of those theories. There is an opportunity is to bring creativity knowledge and training to higher education institutions through creative educational approaches. This project aims to implement educational and creativity theories into educational environments

Robots Are Not All the Same: Young Adults' Expectations, Attitudes, and Mental Attribution to Two Humanoid Social Robots

The human physical resemblance of humanoid social robots (HRSs) has proven to be particularly effective in interactions with humans in different contexts. In particular, two main factors affect the quality of human-robot interaction, the physical appearance and the behaviors performed by the robot. In this study, we examined the psychological effect of two HRSs, NAO and Pepper. Although some studies have shown that these two robots are very similar in terms of the human likeness, other evidence has shown some differences in their design affecting different psychological elements of the human partner. The present study aims to analyze the variability of the attributions of mental states (AMS), expectations of robotic development and negative attitudes as a function of the physical appearance of two HRSs after observing a real interaction with a human (an experimenter). For this purpose, two groups of young adults were recruited, one for the NAO

Measuring collective action intention toward gender equality across cultures

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries (N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Measuring collective action intention toward gender equality across cultures

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries (N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures

Riociguat treatment in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Final safety data from the EXPERT registry

Objective: The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat is approved for the treatment of adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inoperable or persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) following Phase

Psychometric Properties and Correlates of Precarious Manhood Beliefs in 62 Nations

Precarious manhood beliefs portray manhood, relative to womanhood, as a social status that is hard to earn, easy to lose, and proven via public action. Here, we present cross-cultural data on a brief measure of precarious manhood beliefs (the Precarious Manhood Beliefs scale [PMB]) that covaries meaningfully with other cross-culturally validated gender ideologies and with country-level indices of gender equality and human development. Using data from university samples in 62 countries across 13 world regions (N = 33,417), we demonstrate: (1) the psychometric isomorphism of the PMB (i.e., its comparability in meaning and statistical properties across the individual and country levels); (2) the PMB’s distinctness from, and associations with, ambivalent sexism and ambivalence toward men; and (3) associations of the PMB with nation-level gender equality and human development. Findings are discussed in terms of their statistical and theoretical implications for understanding widely-held beliefs about the precariousness of the male gender role

New researches on the ”Altamura man”: morphology of the scapular glenoid cavity of a Neanderthal skeleton

In 1993 an archaic (i.e., non modern) human skeleton was discovered inside the Lamalunga karstic system, in the countryside nearby Altamura, Southern Italy (Bari, Puglia). The conditions of preservation of the skeleton are exceptional, so that each bony element belonging to a single adult male are virtually preserved. Most of the visible skeletal features – observed with the bones still in situ – are close to the Neanderthal morphology (e.g., Manzi 2011). In the past couple of decades, unfortunately, with the exception of some photographic and laser 3D documentations (eg, Pesce-Delfino and Vacca 1993a, 1993b, 1994; Vacca and Pesce-Delfino, 2004; Vacca, 2006; Manzi et al. 2010a), no direct studies have been carried out so far on the Altamura skeleton, due to the fact that its remains are yet incorporated within a curtain of calcite concretions of various thickness, which prevent from any direct intervention and hide the genuine morphology of bones and teeth. It follows that the international scientific community has been less and less concerned about this important finding and its significance for human evolution. However, in 2008-2009 a new scientific endeavour coordinated by a new commission of experts (appointed by the Direzione Re- gionale per i Beni Culturali e Pa-esaggistici della Puglia, in col-laboration with the Soprinten-denza per i Beni Archeologici della Puglia and assisted by speleo-logists of the Centro Altamura-no Ricerche Speleologiche) allowed to perform a survey in the cave with the aim to physically remove a skeletal fragment to be used for high-quality investigations (including aDNA extraction and dating attempts). The choice of the specimen to be extracted fell among those identified after a previous photographic recognition (Micheli et al. 1996) within the small empty space behind the so called “apse of man” (i.e., the small chamber where the main skeletal remains are enclosed). This choice was justified as follows (Manzi et al. 2010b): 1) the need to obtain a bony element with a minimum contamination due to the human presence in the cave after the discovery; 2) the need to not touch (as requested by the Authorities) the human skeletal remains enclosed in the apse; 3) the relative simplicity of sampling, intrinsic to the fact that the selected specimen appeared to lie without any contact with concretions like those present on the “apse of man”. The fossil specimen was removed from the cave in sterile condition and revealed to be free from any important calcite concretions; it represents a portion of the right scapula, where the glenoid cavity (showing only a modest fracture along the axillo-ventral margin), the neck, and both the roots of the acromion and the coracoid process are preserved. After the extraction, while maintaining sterile conditions, the portion of scapula was subjected to professional photographic documentation and medical tomographic scan (CT), performed in order to preserve its morphology before it was submitted to paleogenetic and dating analyses. A total of 119 slices in DICOM format were recorded with a resolution of 0.25 mm and an increment of slice of 0.65 mm. From these, 3D high-resolution (mm slicing 0.25) digital and stereolithograpic replicas were also obtained. The virtual reproduction was analyzed with ordinary morphometric methods, using the length (GAL), the breadth (GAB), and the maximum depth (GFD) of the glenoid cavity, selected as variables to be compared with data available from the literature (Vrba 1979; Churchill and Trinkaus 1990; Carrettero et al. 1997); comparative samples include: A. africanus (STS 7), H. heidelbergensis (Atapuerca - Sima de los Huesos), H. neanderthalensis (Near-Eastern and European Würmian Neanderthals), and H. sapiens (Upper Paleolithic and recent) specimens. A 2D geometric morphometrics a-nalysis was also performed on the outline of the gle-noid cavity, using 60 sliding landmarks and semilandmarks, treated according to the methodology described in Di Vincenzo and colleagues (2012). The Altamura glenoid cavity was compared with those of 66 specimens belonging to the following OTUs: A. africanus, H. floresiensis, H. georgicus (Dmanisi), H. heidelbergensis (Atapuerca SH), H. neanderthalensis, H. sapiens (Upper Paleolithic and recent), having distinguished the Neanderthal sample from Krapina (> 100 ka) from the European Würmian and Near-Eastern Neanderthals. Overall, the results of these morphometric analyses (see figures) show that the scapula from Altamura – as regards both metric (GAB/GAL ratio and GFD) and geometric (shape) available variables – falls within or in continuity with the variability of H. neanderthalensis, in accordance with general observations on the morphology of the skeleton still in situ. In addition, phenetic relationships obtained from the Euclidean distances of the Procruste’s coordinates of the glenoid outline intercept an additional phylogenetic signal, suggesting the scapula from Altamura as interposed between the early Neanderthals from Krapina and more derived Neanderthal samples. References: Carretero J.M. et al. 1997. Journal of Human Evolution 33:357-408 – Churchill S.E., Trinkaus E. 1990. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 83:147-160 – Di Vincenzo F. et al. 2012. Journal of Human Evolution 62:274-285 – Manzi G. et al. 2010a. DiRe, Direzione Regionale BCA della Puglia 2:35-39 – Manzi G. et al. 2010b. DiRe, Direzione Regionale BCA della Puglia 2:41-46 – Manzi G. et al. 2011. Quaternary Science Reviews 30:1420-1438 – Micheli M. et al. (a cura di). 1996. L'Uomo di Altamura e la Grotta di Lamalunga ABACO, Forlì. Pesce Delfino V., Vacca E. 1993a. Rivista di Antropologia 71:249-257 – Pesce Delfino V., Vacca E. 1993b. Anthropologie (Brno) 31:157-158 – Pesce Delfino V., Vacca E. 1994. Human Evolution 9:1-9 – Vacca E. 2006. Ricerche Speleologiche 1:28-54 – Vacca E., Pesce Delfino V. 2004. Collegium Antropologicum 28:113-119 – Vrba E.S. 1979. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 51:117-129

Nutraceuticals for blood pressure control in patients with high-normal or grade 1 hypertension.

Background: Current hypertension management guidelines do not recommend drug treatment in subjects with blood pressure (BP) in the high-normal range due to the risk of side effects of the currently available antihypertensive agents that overcomes the possible benefit. Nutraceuticals are free from relevant side effects and could be a valuable strategy for the treatment of these patients. Aim: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of two nutraceutical compositions given by the combination of policosanol, red yeast rice extract, berberine, folic acid and coenzyme Q(10) with or without Orthosiphon stamineus in lowering the BP and lipid profile. Methods: Thirty patients with grade 1 essential hypertension and low cardiovascular risk were analysed. At the end of a run-in period, patients were divided into two study arms and assigned to receive the nutraceutical combination with and without Orthosiphon stamineus. All participants underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring at the end of the run-in period and of the 4-week treatment with each of the two different nutraceutical combinations. Results: In patients treated with Orthosiphon stamineus a significant reduction of mean 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP levels compared with baseline values was registered and the smoothness index calculated for systolic and diastolic BP showed a more reliable and homogeneous effect on BP over 24 hours. In contrast, nutraceutical treatment without Orthosiphon stamineus was not associated with a significant reduction of BP. Conclusions: Our results show that the addition of Orthosiphon stamineus to the combination of nutraceuticals confers an antihypertensive effect that allows a surprisingly effective 24-hour BP control in hypertensive patients

Adsorption of Human Plasma Albumin and Fibronectin onto Nanostructured Black Silicon Surfaces

The protein adsorption of two human plasma proteinsalbumin (Alb) and fibronectin (Fn)onto synthetic nanostructured bactericidal materialblack silicon (bSi) surfaces (that contain an array of nanopillars) and silicon wafer (nonstructured) surfaceswas investigated. The adsorption behavior of Alb and Fn onto two types of substrata was studied using a combination of complementary analytical techniques. A two-step Alb adsorption mechanism onto the bSi surface has been proposed. At low bulk concentrations (below 40 μg/mL), the Alb preferentially adsorbed at the base of the nanopillars. At higher bulk concentrations, the Alb adsorbed on the top of the nanopillars. In the case of Fn, the protein preferentially adsorbed on the top of the nanopillars, irrespective of its bulk concentration